The Gordon’s bought their three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on McLennan Road 13 years ago for $90,000 and planned to build a larger new home within three years. But then along came two lovely children—Dylan,6, and Paige, 4—and their plans were shelved until this year.

The couple considered using an agent and paying a commission, but Leanne, a nurse, ran into a friend who had just sold a house using ComFree. Her rave reviews convinced the Gordons they should try ComFree, so they listed the home with them for $239,900.

"The prospect of saving more than $10,000 in commissions was very attractive and we knew we were best qualified to discuss the home with potential buyers," says Patrick. "Our ad went on the ComFree website on a Wednesday and we planned an Open House the following Sunday, so it wasn’t advertised for long."

Twenty people showed up on the Sunday afternoon in a steady stream. Two serious buyers quickly emerged and by Tuesday evening their home was sold for $257,000— more than $17,000 over what they expected.

Add to that they saved $15,600 in agent commissions and it makes for a very happy family. Their efforts were rewarded handsomely.

"I’m so glad we decided to use ComFree," says Leanne. "I work part time but focused on making sure the interior was decluttered and looking its best. Patrick made sure the yard was in tip top shape. All the flowers had just come into bloom, so it looked great."

They moved out two truck loads of items to declutter their home and ensure it was at its most presentable when they had an Open House.

They say the process of selling went as smooth as clockwork. They used a lawyer recommended by ComFree when they needed advice. With a young couple and an older, retired couple both anxious to buy, the competing bids ensured they got a good price. They did get calls from three agents and one phoned them five times, but Patrick made it absolutely clear that he was selling the home privately and would pay no commission.

"One woman had hired an agent to try and find her a home and she insisted on seeing ours, but it was clear the agent wanted to get her out of there," he says.

"He made a lot of negative comments and wanted her to leave as soon as possible because there was no commission in it for him if she’d decided to buy it."

I’m so glad we decided to use ComFree,"
— Leanne Gordon

They concede that if they’d left the home on the market for another week and held another Open House they might have got more offers, but that’s a game of Russian roulette because they might not get anyone counter-offering.

"We had at least a dozen other phone calls even when the home had been sold, so there was plenty of interest," says Patrick.

The Gordons are having a new home built only about 500 yards away from their old home.

They say the great thing about it being a seller’s market with quick sales and bidding wars is that everyone is flexible about conditions and moving dates. Offers with too many conditions have less chance of being accepted.

Interestingly, their neighbour who used an agent to sell his home asked for $248,000 and ended up getting $260,000. "That home was a bit larger than ours but we got almost as much and didn’t have a commission to pay from our sale price," adds Patrick. "Going with ComFree was the best thing we could have done and we’re delighted with the service."

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